way off topic.
Reports of the demise of the U.S. are, as they were in the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s, are a tad bit premature. In fact, a last year I dropped my Economist subscription. I read it for about ten years, but realized after the first five that it was always predicting the end of the U.S. led world economy.
Yes, the Euro is going to replace the dollar, I'll hold my breath waiting for that, yes, this will be the Chinese century, blah blah blah.
Of course, if we kill off the free market, we'll end up that way, but I doubt it, for the forseeable future.
Things always seem gloomy during an election cycle, whichever party is on the outs talks up all the more dreary parts of the economy/foreign affairs/etc.
Having said all of that, I had a professor who used to say in every class session "where you stand depends on where you sit" and it never ceases strike me that those who live in countries that have no military power claim that military 'hard' power isn't as relative as 'soft' power. Those on the left always talk down 'hard' power too, since they hate the idea that a military takes away from their free school lunch programs or saving the wales, or free needles for IV users, or whatever the cause du jour is.
whatever.
'Soft' power wouldn't mean squat if not for a world held together by 'hard' power.
|